Evaporation in winter. Is this even possible???

Rafty · 06/19/2019, 06:36 AM

I have 260g tank plumbed outside to a 160g sump. The sump is partitioned into three sections. 10% to filter through socks into 70% where skimmers, ca reactor and algae are reactor are and 20% where auto top up, pump and two 600 watt heaters.

I recently changed my RO to only turn on once per week to let it run for 3 hrs and full up the 6g top up tank weekly. Today I noticed there has been 10g or water loss with no sign of a leak anywhere. I noticed this because the autotop up had malfunction and not filled the pump section and saw bubbles in the tank so investigated.

Currently it is winter with temps of 39 to 53 F. Is it possible that 10g could evaporate in these conditions? Only thing I can think of is small volume of water being heated up outside resulting in that degree of evaporation.

I have also realised I now need a sensor to monitor sump levels.

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MondoBongo · 06/19/2019, 07:46 AM

for me in winter it's less the heat and more the lack of humidity in the air.

5 gallons of top off a week for a 160 is easily half to a third what i was seeing with a similarly sized tank.

mcgyvr · 06/19/2019, 08:07 AM

So 260+160 sump = roughly 400 gallons total and you are seeing 10G a day (or is that a week) of evaporation..
10G a day is a bit high.. but certainly possible depending on humidity levels,etc...

On my 125G system (40G sump entirely indoors) it was not uncommon to evap 2-2.5G a day in the winter in NC

Vinny Kreyling · 06/19/2019, 08:51 AM

Winter here is a dryer season than the rest of the year & we do notice more evaporation
with the tanks. Normal situation.
Time for a bigger top off container.

Rafty · 06/19/2019, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling

Winter here is a dryer season than the rest of the year & we do notice more evaporation
with the tanks. Normal situation.
Time for a bigger top off container.

Actually time for a better ATO as my float switch had jammed which is why it was low. Thanks to all for the quick feedback.

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Tripod1404 · 06/19/2019, 12:54 PM

If it is windy and the humidity is low, it can evaporate very fast.

reefgeezer · 06/19/2019, 02:50 PM

My tank evaporates more in the winter due to low humidity. 1.5 gal/day in my 90-ish system in the winter.

hkgar · 06/19/2019, 02:59 PM

Always more evaporation in winter than summer. Evaporation also is a function of your lights and the heat they create. Although you can't see it, warming the surface of the water with lights creates more surface agitation causing more evaporation.

ThRoewer · 06/19/2019, 04:48 PM

Water can evaporate (transform into its vapour form) even from its solid state (ice). This happens especially if the ambient pressure is low. Freezer burn is evidence of this and freeze-drying is actually a preservation process that makes use of this effect.

Temperature differences between water and air also influence evaporation.

And any airflow across a water surface will increase evaporation.

Kevin Guthrie · 06/20/2019, 07:40 AM

My 90 plus 29 plus stock tank system goes thru 2.5 gpd winter and 1.5 gpd summer. The evap rate seems to correlate with relative humidity; the air in our house is very dry in winter but not much colder than with the AC on.

hkgar · 06/21/2019, 02:35 PM

My 180 system with 20g sump evaps about 3.5/day winter and summer. I run a dehumidifier in the sump room (basement) and another unit on the main floor, winter and summer.

cody6766 · 06/22/2019, 10:09 AM

I was losing about 3/4 - 1 gal a day in the winter in AK due to how dry the house was. It's significantly better here in OK since the heater doesn't run as much. I bet I lose about half of what I was losing up there, same 60g cube + sump system with hotter lights in OK.

alemone · 07/02/2019, 04:59 PM

The relative humidity of air drops as it warms up. The air will always be drier inside your house in the cold season all other things being equal. Several gallons a day for your size tank wouldn't be unusual.

Dave_Buffalo · 01/23/2021, 02:08 PM

I seem to lose a lot less in the winter because I replace my mesh top with a glass top for heat conservation. I've also just started covering the sump with a towel, which has reduced my evaporation in half.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cody6766

I was losing about 3/4 - 1 gal a day in the winter in AK due to how dry the house was. It's significantly better here in OK since the heater doesn't run as much.

Sk8r · 01/24/2021, 08:58 AM

If your water is 80 degrees and the ambient air is dry, yep, it's going to evaporate. Even snow evaporates.

06/19/2019, 06:36 AM	#1
Rafty Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 141	Evaporation in winter. Is this even possible??? I have 260g tank plumbed outside to a 160g sump. The sump is partitioned into three sections. 10% to filter through socks into 70% where skimmers, ca reactor and algae are reactor are and 20% where auto top up, pump and two 600 watt heaters. I recently changed my RO to only turn on once per week to let it run for 3 hrs and full up the 6g top up tank weekly. Today I noticed there has been 10g or water loss with no sign of a leak anywhere. I noticed this because the autotop up had malfunction and not filled the pump section and saw bubbles in the tank so investigated. Currently it is winter with temps of 39 to 53 F. Is it possible that 10g could evaporate in these conditions? Only thing I can think of is small volume of water being heated up outside resulting in that degree of evaporation. I have also realised I now need a sensor to monitor sump levels. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

06/19/2019, 07:46 AM	#2
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	for me in winter it's less the heat and more the lack of humidity in the air. 5 gallons of top off a week for a 160 is easily half to a third what i was seeing with a similarly sized tank. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

06/19/2019, 08:07 AM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	So 260+160 sump = roughly 400 gallons total and you are seeing 10G a day (or is that a week) of evaporation.. 10G a day is a bit high.. but certainly possible depending on humidity levels,etc... On my 125G system (40G sump entirely indoors) it was not uncommon to evap 2-2.5G a day in the winter in NC __________________ Who me?

06/19/2019, 08:51 AM	#4
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Winter here is a dryer season than the rest of the year & we do notice more evaporation with the tanks. Normal situation. Time for a bigger top off container. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

06/19/2019, 02:50 PM	#7
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	My tank evaporates more in the winter due to low humidity. 1.5 gal/day in my 90-ish system in the winter. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

06/19/2019, 12:54 PM	#6
Tripod1404 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,821	If it is windy and the humidity is low, it can evaporate very fast.

06/19/2019, 02:59 PM	#8
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	Always more evaporation in winter than summer. Evaporation also is a function of your lights and the heat they create. Although you can't see it, warming the surface of the water with lights creates more surface agitation causing more evaporation. __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

06/19/2019, 04:48 PM	#9
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	Water can evaporate (transform into its vapour form) even from its solid state (ice). This happens especially if the ambient pressure is low. Freezer burn is evidence of this and freeze-drying is actually a preservation process that makes use of this effect. Temperature differences between water and air also influence evaporation. And any airflow across a water surface will increase evaporation. __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

06/20/2019, 07:40 AM	#10
Kevin Guthrie Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 506	My 90 plus 29 plus stock tank system goes thru 2.5 gpd winter and 1.5 gpd summer. The evap rate seems to correlate with relative humidity; the air in our house is very dry in winter but not much colder than with the AC on.

06/21/2019, 02:35 PM	#11
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	My 180 system with 20g sump evaps about 3.5/day winter and summer. I run a dehumidifier in the sump room (basement) and another unit on the main floor, winter and summer. __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

06/22/2019, 10:09 AM	#12
cody6766 Super Best Friends! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: OKC, OK Posts: 3,772	I was losing about 3/4 - 1 gal a day in the winter in AK due to how dry the house was. It's significantly better here in OK since the heater doesn't run as much. I bet I lose about half of what I was losing up there, same 60g cube + sump system with hotter lights in OK. __________________ "The moral is the chosen, not the forced; the understood, not the obeyed. The moral is the rational, and reason accepts no commandments." - John Galt Current Tank Info: Cadlights 60G Arisan II mixed reef with 2x MP40s and 24" ATI

07/02/2019, 04:59 PM	#13
alemone Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 226	The relative humidity of air drops as it warms up. The air will always be drier inside your house in the cold season all other things being equal. Several gallons a day for your size tank wouldn't be unusual.

01/24/2021, 08:58 AM	#15
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If your water is 80 degrees and the ambient air is dry, yep, it's going to evaporate. Even snow evaporates. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.